True Grit: Great Western entertainment

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 06 January 2011 10:54

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new version of the classic Western, True Grit.

We all need role models. We learn when we observe people confront challenge, embrace obstacles, take risks, learn from mistakes. And it doesn’t matter if these characters are actual or fiction. People we admire in life, on a page and on a screen can offer lessons we can use.

Mattie Ross, the heroine in Charles Portis’ novel True Grit, is a strong, positive role model for any young man or woman who is working through what to value, how to question and where to focus. Her willingness to confront what may frighten and challenge who may object can teach anyone fundamental lessons of persistence. She is a literary original.

When first filmed in 1969, Hollywood shifted Mattie’s story — of her efforts to avenge her father’s murder — to focus on the U.S. Marshal she hires to track down the killer. While the change gave John Wayne an Oscar-wining role, it diluted the impact of Mattie’s actions. This strong force for good became, instead, a sidekick for a legendary actor to relish one of his iconic roles.

Fortunately, the brothers Joel and Ethan Coen right this wrong with a solid, faithful and vastly entertaining new movie version. This True Grit is one of the most enjoyable films of 2010. It is not, as its advertisements tease, simply a shoot ’em up Western (although it is a Western with gunfights). And it is not simply a star vehicle for the considerable talents of Jeff Bridges (although he is at his best in a multi-layered portrayal of U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn). Nor is it a Matt Damon picture (although he continues to evolve as a strong character actor with a well modulated performance in the role first played by Glen Campbell. Yes, the singer.) This True Grit is less about Hollywood and more about the perseverance that first shined in the Portis novel.

Mattie is one of the most complex and appealing characters in recent memory. As perfectly played by Hailee Steinfeld, this tough 14 year old brings an adult’s sensibility to her negotiations with a local merchant, her hiring of the aging and drunken Cogburn and her fighting the villain, played at perfect pitch by Josh Brolin. Steinfeld captures every nuance of the character without reaching to caricature. She makes us believe that a girl would put her life on the line to right a wrong.

The Coen brothers — creators of the classic Fargo and the Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men — add yet another milestone to their canon. They avoid any temptation to remake the Wayne original, carefully returning to the core of the source material. Most important, they make strong creative choices — including a script that does not include contractions — to create a world closer to what the West must have been than how it has been portrayed in movies.

And for Bridges, who won an Oscar last year for Crazy Heart, the role offers this great actor a marvelous chance to reach for every dramatic and humorous possibility. But as good as he and Damon are — and they are marvelous — this film is about Mattie. And in the capable hands of Hailee Steinfeld, this True Grit offers a meaningful portrait of a role model we can all learn from.

 

Film Nutritional Value:

True Grit

* Content: High. Returning to the novel by Charles Portis as source material, Joel and Ethan Coen create a new classic Western.

* Entertainment: High. Every moment is a delight, every character refreshing, every situation authentic. This is a beautifully made film.

* Message: High. This nutritious film offers a strong role model we can all learn from.

* Relevance: High. Any opportunity to inspire older children to stand up for what they believe can be a worthwile conversation.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: High. After you share this film, talk about how the importance of grit in every dimension of daily life.

 

(True Grit is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of  violence, including disturbing images. The film runs 110 minutes.)

5 Popcorn Buckets